Work with Enver to innovate the youthcare sector with robotics

Pilot contract, access to network
71 days left

The Health Innovation Challenge (HIC) is an initiative of the Rotterdam Municipality to develop Rotterdam as the national hotspot for healthcare innovation. Startups, SMEs and healthcare institutions are challenged to collaboratively find solution to health challenges. With the support of Get in the Ring, Enver is looking for innovative autonomous social robot software solutions to guide struggling parents with the help of a robot.

Growing up and raising a child is not always easy. Enver supports children, youngsters and parents that experience challenges in this process. Professionals at Enver encourage and empower them to be the best they can be. Enabling them to build self esteem en be self assured. That is the best basis for being strong and resilient in life, Enver believes. From there they can take control over their own life and situation. Be happy, create positive relationships and contribute to their community.

With over 1750 employees, Enver is active in the province South-Holland (in and around Rotterdam, Gouda and Dordrecht) and practices in a variety of settings, including homes, schools, street corners and (crisis)centres. The healthcare sector, is a changing industry, and innovation is much needed. Together with Garage2020, Enver works on realizing this. Garage2020, a multidisciplinary design thinking organization, creates and accelerates radically new solutions to ensure a promising life for children and youth. By connecting with their experiences and needs Garage2020 wants to prevent the need for youth care. In a joined innovation project, Garage2020 started working on a solution for parents that struggle with raising their children and evoking a healthy attachment; Luna, the robot, was born.

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THE CHALLENGE

Parents who are for example mildly intellectually impaired, addicted, under extreme stress, with a poor background, often immensely love their child, but sometimes lack the capacities or focus to provide sufficient care and protection. According to research 40%-60% of the 4000 children with parents that have a minor intellectual impairment are being taken away (temporarily or permanent). In line with Enver’s mission, Garage2020 introduced Robot Luna. Luna is a robot that helps parents who find it difficult to care for their children and she can help to create a well organised home situation. Crucial factors for the healthy and promising development of the social, cognitive and executive capacities of our next generation. Luna could boost parents confidence and self-determination because we believe that a robotic device has additional qualities to support parents in crucial developing stages of the their children. Qualities like visual instructions, that can be much more effective. Or an everlasting patience that can help parents to acquire important skills. Furthermore, robots are much more accessible to ask for help, with less shame and fear of failure involved.

The project is currently being developed by Enver, Garage2020, the Technical University of Delft (leading robotics research) and 3 institutes focused on supporting parents in the development of their children, where Luna will be validated and implemented (MEE, CJG, ASVZ). Currently, we are looking for a software robotics startup who feels connected to the mission of Enver and wants to work together in a joined innovation project to make Luna realizable.

Autonomous social robot software

Software startups that can program an of-the-shelf robot to create the scripts of the benevolent behavior of Luna.

Autonomous social robots

Custom made autonomous social robots that can be adapted to the goals of Luna.

Monitoring and sensing solutions

Should be integrated into an of-the-shelf robot.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

Pilot contract with Enver to develop Luna, together with the entire project team

Real-life lab situation to experiment with new technologies for a societal cause

You should

Be willing to work in an innovation project team towards a finished product or service for further research within the next 6 months

Be able to work on the project in The Netherlands, and thus sometimes be present on site

THE HEALTH INNOVATION CHALLENGE

The Health Innovation Challenge (HIC) is an initiative of the Rotterdam Municipality to develop Rotterdam as the national hotspot for healthcare innovation. Startups, SMEs and healthcare institutions are challenged to collaboratively find solutions to health challenges. The most innovative and promoting startups will start a pilot with either Dermahaven and Erasmus Medical Center, Sportbedrijf Rotterdam, Enver or Kinderplein Medical Center. HIC is a collaboration between the Municipality of Rotterdam, Get in the Ring and the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship.

TIMELINE

OCTOBER 24TH

APPLICATION DEADLINE

The deadline for applications is 24th of October.

NOVEMBER 1ST

ANNOUNCEMENT SELECTED STARTUPS

The announcement of the selected startups will be done in the first week of November.

NOVEMBER 15TH

HEALTH INNOVATION DAY

Selected startups will be invited for 1 on 1 business meetings on the 15th of November.

DECEMBER -

PILOT PHASE

The most relevant startup(s) will start with the pilot from December onwards.